Covid ‐19 Related Facilitators and Barriers to In‐Person Learning for Children With Intellectual and Development Disabilities
A Follow‐Up
Bibliographic Data
BACKGROUND: Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and the staff who support them were largely in-person during the 2021-2022 school year, despite their continued vulnerability to infection with SARS-CoV-2. This qualitative study aimed to understand continued perceptions of weekly SARS-CoV-2 screening testing of students and staff amidst increased availability of vaccinations. METHODS: Twenty-three focus groups were held with school staff and parents of children with IDD to examine the perceptions of COVID-19 during the 2021-2022 school year. Responses were analyzed using a directed thematic content analysis approach. RESULTS: Four principal themes were identified: strengths and opportunities of school- and district-level mitigation policies; experience at school with the return to in-person learning; facilitators and barriers to participation in SARS-CoV-2 screening testing; and perceptions of SARS-CoV-2 testing in light of vaccine availability. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: Despite the increased availability of vaccines, school staff and families agreed that saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 screening testing helped increase comfort with in-person learning as long as the virus was present in the community. CONCLUSION: To keep children with IDD in school during the pandemic, families found SARS-CoV-2 screening testing important. Clearly communicating school policies and mitigation strategies facilitated peace of mind and confidence in the school district.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Disease · Focus group · Infectious disease (medical specialty) · Medical education · Pandemic · Perception · Qualitative research · Thematic analysis · Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Down syndrome and intellectual disability research · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology
Qualitative research in healthcare
Grounded theory research
Covid ‐19‐Related Facilitators and Barriers to In‐Person Learning for Children With Intellectual and Development Disabilities
A Coefficient of Agreement for Nominal Scales
Assessing Covid-19 testing strategies in K-12 schools in underserved populations
Qualitative Data Analysis for Health Services Research
Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis
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